Cyprus Defense Minister Vassilis Palmas Orders Probe After Ammunition Detonation Sparks Brush Fire
On Monday, Cyprus Defense Minister Vassilis Palmas ordered a probe into the illegal detonation of discarded ammunition by National Guard engineers at the Kalo Chorio firing range, which ignited a fast‑moving brush fire during a 40 °C heat wave.
The fire burned about 120 ha (300 ac) of vegetation, prompting the evacuation of two small communities. Around 100 firefighters and eight aircraft were deployed, and no homes or other property were damaged.
Palmas said protocols forbid explosions of heavy weapons in summer and the investigation will determine why the engineers proceeded without clearance; a report is expected within a few weeks. Cyprus has also recently established a regional fire‑fighting hub to assist neighboring Middle‑East countries.
Entities: Cyprus · Cyprus National Guard · Cyprus regional fire fighting hub · Kalo Chorio firing range · Vassilis Palmas
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 3 SOURCES] About 100 firefighters and eight aircraft were deployed to control the fire (multiple sources)
- [● 3 SOURCES] The detonation caused a brush fire that burned roughly 120 ha (300 ac) of wild vegetation (multiple sources)
- [● 3 SOURCES] National Guard engineers detonated half a dozen rocket‑propelled grenade projectiles at the Kalo Chorio firing range during a 40 °C heat wave (multiple sources)
- [● 3 SOURCES] Cyprus has set up a regional fire‑fighting hub that can assist Middle‑East countries in battling major wildfires (multiple sources)
- [● 3 SOURCES] The investigation report is expected to be ready within a couple of weeks (multiple sources)
- [● 3 SOURCES] Cyprus has protocols prohibiting explosions of heavy weaponry during the summer months (multiple sources)
- [● 3 SOURCES] Two small communities were evacuated, but no homes or other property were damaged (multiple sources)
- [● 3 SOURCES] Defense Minister Vassilis Palmas ordered an investigation into the ammunition detonation that sparked a brush fire (multiple sources)